Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1887-08-30
WANT FUN AND BEER.
STARTLING DEVELOPMENTS In REGARD TO
INCBNDIARY JERSEY FIRES.
Rrsmsu Implicated in the Crimss-Ssysn Men in
Jail-HOw They Were Detected Shrswd
Device BY COmpanies-Taksn
While Firing House.

PLAINFIELD, n. j., August 2s-The
seven cells in the city prison were occupied
all day yesterday and last night by seven
members OF the Plainfeld Volunteer Fire
Department
Their names are: Theo. Vanness, Lewis
yanness, Horace Vanness, George Reed,
Philip Hapenny, Robert Skinner and John
Jackson.
The prisoners were arrested between 2
and 4 o'clock yesterday morning, accused
of having been the originators Of tn, hun
dred or more incendiary fires which have
taken place in this city during the last ten
or twelve years.
About year ago SO numerous did the
fires become that the Board of Fire Un-
derwriters of New York sent two Pinker-
ton detectives to Plainfield to ferret out
the culprits. Four months afterward the
Common Council offered reward OF
81 900 for the capture and conviction Of
the guilty persons. Then the Police Com
mittee of the Council employed Edward
Murphy to run down the incendiaries
Mr.. Murphy's first move was to secure q
job in the Scott Printing Press Works
Then he made himself
SOLID WITH SEVERAL OF THE BOYS
employed there, and was introduced by
them to friends in the fire department
where Mr.. Murphy suspected the culprits
would be fonnd. Wednesday night, being
pay night at the factory, all the boys
would be on hand at Fred Casper's beer
bottliDg establishment and saloon in Sec
ond street, and there they would meet the
fire laddies and with them spend the
night.
A peculiarity Of these Wednesday night
meetings was, that there would almost
invariably be an alarm of fire about mid
night and the engines would be called out.
Everybody in Casper's would run to the
fire, have q good time, and then return to
their stamping ground and drink the free
beer that patriotic citizens would set up.
Murphy proved himself hale fellow
well met, and it was not long before he
was elected member of Engine Company
No. 2, whose house is in Front street, near
Grove. He was soon admitted to all the
secrets Of the company, and in less than a
mouth he was convinced that the majority
of the fires were started by
MEMBERS OF THE COMPANY
''iust for the fun of the thing" He COM
municated what he had learned to Chair
man Carey, of the Police Committee, and
it was decided to set trap for one of the
fremen and capture him in the act OF set
ting fire to a building.
The result, it is said was even better
than had been expected. John Jackson,
a member of Company No. /, was the man
selected to work upon. Murphy proposed
to him on Friday evening that little bon
fire be built somewhere. Jackson fell into
the trap.
A house on Grant avenue, owned by
Frazer & Lee Bros, and occupied by Fra
zer, was selected to be fired, and two
o'clock Sunday morning was the time set.
About midnight Jackson and Murphy
started for the house, carrying with them
a couple of boxes of matches and q quart
bottle of kerosene oil. After arriving on
the scene of action, Jackson spilled the
oil on the back steps leading into the
kitchen Of the house.
Carey was on hand, and he sneaked up
behind Jackson just az he drew box Of
from his pocket and set fire to the
woodwork. In trice handouts
were snapped on his wrists and he was 4
prisoner.